1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for preparing aliphatic alcohols. More particularly, embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods for preparing branched aliphatic alcohols.
2. Description of Related Art
Aliphatic alcohols are important compounds that may be used in a variety of applications or converted to other chemical compounds (e.g., surfactants, sulfates). Surfactants may be used in a variety of applications (e.g., detergents, soaps, oil recovery).
The structural composition of the aliphatic alcohol may influence the properties of the surfactant and/or detergent (e.g., water solubility, biodegradability and cold water detergency) produced from the aliphatic alcohol. For example, water solubility may be affected by the linearity of the aliphatic portion of the aliphatic alcohol. As the linearity of the aliphatic portion increases, the hydrophilicity (i.e., affinity for water) of the aliphatic alcohol surfactant may decrease. Thus, the water solubility and/or detergency performance of the aliphatic alcohol surfactant may decrease. Incorporating branches into the aliphatic portion of the aliphatic alcohol surfactant may increase the cold-water solubility and/or detergency of the aliphatic alcohol surfactant. Biodegradability, however, of the aliphatic alcohol surfactants may be reduced if the branches in the aliphatic portion of the alcohol surfactant include a high number of quaternary carbons. Incorporation of branches with a minimum number of quaternary carbon atoms into the aliphatic portion of the aliphatic alcohol surfactant may increase cold-water solubility and/or detergency of the alcohol surfactants while maintaining the biodegradability properties of the detergents.
The aliphatic portion of an aliphatic alcohol used to manufacture a surfactant may include one or more aliphatic alkyl groups as branches. Aliphatic alkyl groups that may form branches in the aliphatic portion may include methyl, ethyl, propyl or higher alkyl groups. Quaternary and tertiary carbons may be present when the aliphatic portion is branched. The number of quaternary and tertiary carbons may result from the branching pattern in the aliphatic portion. As used herein, the phrase “aliphatic quaternary carbon atom” refers to a carbon atom that is not bound to any hydrogen atoms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,519 to Giacobbe et al., entitled “Process for Production of Biodegradable Surfactants and Compositions Thereof,” which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describes the manufacture of a surfactant by oligomerizing C3 and C4 olefins.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,077 to Singleton et al., entitled “Dimerized Alcohol Compositions and Biodegradable Surfactants Made Therefrom Having Cold Water Detergency”, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describes a process to manufacture linear alcohols by dimerizing an olefin feed comprising C6-C10 linear olefins to obtain C12-C20 olefins. The dimerized olefins may be converted to alcohols by hydroformylation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,960 to Singleton et al. entitled “Highly Branched Primary Alcohol Compositions, and Biodegradable Detergents Made Therefrom” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,322 to Singleton et al., entitled “Highly Branched Primary Alcohol Compositions, and Biodegradable Detergents Made Therefrom,” both of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describe processes to manufacture branched primary alcohol compositions.